


preparation

by fictorium



Series: all of time and space [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alien Cultural Differences, Alien Culture, Alien Planet, Aliens, Career Change, Cat Grant Comes Back, Cat Grant Knows Kara Danvers Is Supergirl, Diplomacy, Earth, Eventual Kara Danvers/Cat Grant, F/F, Interplanetary Travel, Lucy Lane knows Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Politics, Slow Burn Kara Danvers/Cat Grant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-01
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2020-07-25 23:27:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20034091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fictorium/pseuds/fictorium
Summary: Prompt: With Olivia still as president, Cat is tapped to serve in a newly created position as ambassador for the US to other planets, and she asks Kara to serve as her cultural attaché.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SapphicScholar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicScholar/gifts).

> I'm still catching up on s4 so as far as canon: President Marsdin has been exposed as an alien but she fights to stay in office. There's no Lockwood or Children of Liberty (so far) in this verse. It also takes place pre-crossover so Lois hasn't been to Argo. Nia hasn't become Dreamer yet, Lena and James are still together and she isn't working for the government.

The Oval Office is never dark, Cat’s sure of that much. Even when the President is out of the building, or sleeping up in the Residence, there’s some security protocol or other that keeps the lights on every hour of every day. 

This is partly why the polar ice caps are melting, but that’s a losing battle for another day. For another Press Secretary in fact, because if Cat hasn’t been fired already she’s sure as hell going to resign. She didn’t have these HR problems when she was everyone’s boss, but life has been strange for more than a little while now. 

It’s one thing for Cat to know that Olivia is an alien. A troubling, often downright difficult thing that has cost Cat some of her precious few hours of sleep on more than one night since Air Force One exploded; since National City and walking away from CatCo, again. Yes, that secret is one thing that Cat has wrestled with, because while she doesn’t consider the Constitution a sacred document, there are some rules that really don’t need to be messed with. This isn’t necessarily one of the times where it can be written off as the stickling uptightness of old, white, male slave-owners who couldn’t envision modern-day America with a telescope, a tarot deck or a time machine. 

Being President requires a certain honesty, or at least it used to. People should have all the information with they go to the polls. At least now they have that information. It’s what they’re going to do with it that terrifies Cat.

She has long been the beneficiary of leaks; hell, half her career is built on people being indiscreet in just the right moment to the right sympathetic reporter. Being on the other side of that though is unpleasant, to say the least. She hasn’t felt quite so betrayed since the email hack at CatCo that threatened the last few shreds of her privacy. 

Still. She’s three drinks into this godawful bottle of cheap liquor, and there’s plenty left to share. Only the lights in the Oval Office seem to be out for the first time since Cat came to work here, and none of the Secret Service agents standing guard will make eye contact long enough for her to ask why. 

“Cat?” Olivia comes up at her back, exiting the Roosevelt Room with a sheaf of briefing papers in her hands. They haven’t quite cracked the paperless thing around here. “Were you looking for me?”

“Yes... ma’am,” Cat adds after a moment. She’s never been great at the deference thing, but a title is a title. “Madam President, are you… were you still working?”

“There’s still a country to run,” Olivia replies. “And while this might not be the greatest day of my presidency, tomorrow is an entirely new one. A day with the people to serve, and democracy’s great project to continue. Don’t you agree?”

“With all due respect,” Cat says, and at the moment she thinks that might not be a whole lot. “We’re about five minutes from a Pentagon delegation storming in here and forcibly removing you from power. I haven’t covered a _coup d’état_ live in years.” 

“Come in here,” Olivia says, frowning. They enter the Oval and Cat sees that she was wrong. One lamp remains lit after all: the reading lamp that sits on the president’s desk. Others have had wooden behemoths built from the timbers of famous ships. Olivia went one better and had some of the metal from an Apollo spacecraft built into hers. Cat doesn’t know if that’s irony, at least in the Alanis sense, or just a great big clue that everybody missed.

“I suppose Baker will ask senior staff to stay on,” Cat says as she folds herself into one of the austere, high-backed sofas that dominate the center of the room. “But at the risk of sounding disloyal, I’ve never entirely trusted that man. I’ll have to go. Unless you’ve implicated me somehow. Should I be talking to a lawyer?”

“I’m a lawyer,” Olivia reminds her, sinking into the heavy leather chair behind the desk but never taking her eyes off Cat. “Don’t worry, in any legal proceedings I’ve taken steps to protect all my staff. At best you might be called as a witness. But it’s not going to come to that, you’ll see.”

“You’re telling me that the American people--no, that _Congress_\--will stand back and do nothing when they know for a fact that their president has broken the law? Violated the Constitution no less? Come on, we both know better. There are at least seven junior senators prepping for primetime right now, ready to launch a presidential run based on bringing you to justice.”

“The only law I’ve broken is not being born in the United States,” Olivia reminds her. “The rest is a question of morality, not of law.” It sounds so reasonable, in that soft-spoken voice. Cat actually wants to believe her. 

“Still, they won’t stand idly by--”

“They will. It’s going to the media in thirty minutes. We’ve just defended the west coast from a North Korean attack. There’s a recording of me giving the order to use any means necessary, including alien resources. I’ve proven my credentials as a wartime leader, and I feel confident the people will accept it. You’d better get notes from the Pentagon, you’ll be at the podium soon.”

“What?” Cat is out of her seat at the news. “But I haven’t heard a word from anyone in National City, and Carter’s back with his father this week!”

“Relax, Cat.” Olivia looks as serious as Cat has ever seen her. “The threat was, between you and me, not entirely accurate.”

“You made it up?”

“Optics, Ms Grant. You taught me all about those. Would you rather Baker and his foaming-at-the-mouth xenophobes took over? Don’t even get me started on the Republicans.”

“I… don’t know what to say?” A first for Cat, admittedly.

“Not the best quality in a Press Secretary,” Olivia replies. “Still, I have a new job in mind for you. We’ll talk about that after you’ve briefed the press.”

“I think we’ll talk about it right now.” Cat is torn between admiration for Olivia’s handling of the situation and being downright impressed that she’s learned to play the game this well. Hasn’t Cat been imploring the Democrats to use this playbook for years? “As well as whether it's acceptable for a president to lie like that. What did you have in mind?”

“We’ll need an ambassador, of sorts,” Olivia explains, scribbling on yet more paperwork. “If Earth is to remain safely open to visitors from across the galaxy, which it has to, then we need to establish diplomatic relations with other planets.”

“I hope you mean over Skype.”

“Perhaps at first. Or some military equivalent, yes. Still, this is about outreach. If we want to show we’re serious, we’ll have to send Earth’s best communicators. Isn’t that you, Cat? You’ve certainly been telling me so since Radcliffe.” 

“You can’t think at my age I want to go wandering off to hostile planets,” Cat says, although there’s a tremble down her spine at just the thought. At being _first_. Lois can’t beat her to this one. “How would that even work?”

“Well, Catherine Jane Grant, the answer to that comes after the most important press conference of my administration. Are you in?”

Olivia has always been able to play her like a cheap ukelele. Why else is Cat even here, doing this not-senior-enough role in someone else’s White House? It’s exactly the way Cat would have enticed herself into position: a crisis, a challenge, and having to do something spectacular to even qualify. There are a thousand things to consider, but isn’t this the kind of thing diving was supposed to leave her open for?

“I’ll see you outside the briefing room, Ma’am,” Cat says, and god help her but she almost salutes. It’s time to give the Press Corps the kind of show they’ve been waiting for all this time. 


	2. Chapter 2

Kara slumps in front of her laptop, cursor blinking at her in accusation. It’s not like she hasn’t tried to summon enthusiasm for this article on Fashion Week, it’s just that it would totally have gone to Nia if she wasn’t home on a week’s vacation. Kara’s also feeling the lack of her friendly face around the place, with CatCo in even more upheaval. She used to be in the minority, but now most of the staff who’ve survived the past few years are desperate to have Cat back. Even at her most temperamental, the company had always been more stable than this. 

Maybe that will be the one upside of President Marsdin being run out of office, something that is also bumming Kara out quite thoroughly. But if Cat doesn’t return, Kara isn’t sure even she can summon the enthusiasm to work under yet another new boss.

“Is this what passes for a work ethic around here these days?” Asks a familiar voice at Kara’s shoulder. Great. Now she’s hallucinating things from wanting them too much. “Because you wouldn’t have dared sprawl out like this in front of my office.”

“Cat?” Kara can’t help it, she blurts out the name as she spins around in her desk chair. And there, as though conjured by Rao himself, stands Cat Grant in all her post-CatCo glory.

“So you do remember me,” Cat says, her smile bordering on wry. “I couldn’t be sure, the way your emails have dried up in the past few months.”

Kara fumbles for an explanation, not helped in the least by how good Cat looks. She’s always rocked the CEO chic, and her suits as Press Secretary have made her Kara’s dream casting for a female James Bond honestly, but this relaxed look might be a new favorite. The skinny jeans are all but painted on, in dark indigo that just makes Kara nostalgic for the skies during their late-night balcony chats.

“You… stopped replying!” She finally finds her defense. “So I didn’t want to bug you. Things looked pretty busy at the White House.”

“I’m aware,” Cat replies, picking up a beanie baby on Kara’s desk that was a parting gift from Winn, frowning at it before gingerly dropping it back into place. “Still, I do like to be kept informed about what’s happening at the company that comprises my life’s greatest work. Luckily, Nia is a more faithful correspondent than you. Where is she, anyway?”

“Home. On vacation.” It’s habit not to reveal too much, but Kara is frantically piecing together whether Cat can possibly know about Dreamer. 

“Shame, it would have been nice to check in on her. That girl responds so well to my pep talks, I swear it’s like she was made for it.”

“I like a good pep talk?” Kara volunteers, fiddling with her glasses as she gives a nervous smile. “And they’ve worked pret-ty well on me too, as I remember.”

“Mmm,” Cat says, putting the leg of her Tom Ford sunglasses in her mouth for a moment, distracted by some of the decor changes that James and Lena pushed through against Kara’s vehement objections. “Still, we should go somewhere more private to talk. Is there some kind of supervisor you need to inform?”

“No, I’m sort of more… independent these days? If there’s a problem I mostly just go to James.”

“Anarchy,” Cat scoffs, but she doesn’t look angry. She puts her sunglasses back on, despite being indoors, and marches Kara off to what was once Cat’s private elevator. That’s been democratized too, much to her apparent disgust. It’s only when she hits the button for the roof that Kara starts to wonder exactly what’s going on. 

“Uh, Cat? I mean, Ms Grant? I think you hit the wrong floor there.”

“No, I didn’t,” Cat says, folding her arms over her chest and leaning against the handrail as the elevator ascends. “I didn’t say I was the only one who wants to talk to you.”

The elevator stops and the doors slide open. Kara feels her jaw drop just a little at the sight of the famous green and white helicopter currently idling on the CatCo helipad. 

Marine One. 

Sure enough, a familiar face is visible through the secret service agents sitting right up against the window. President Marsdin herself.

“But… but what would she want with me?” Kara starts to sputter out the words. “I’m just a journalist! I know I wrote some pro-alien pieces but… but…”

Cat’s gaze is withering, even through tinted glass. Kara stammers her way to a stop. 

This moment has been coming for so long. Even now it’s bearing down on her like a missile, she wants just a few more minutes. Just a little longer to pretend that she hasn’t lied, that she and Cat might one day go back to some version of their own roles where Kara is treated just like any other human. 

“Kara… the president is here to see Supergirl.” Cat waves back at the waiting helicopter. “Now you and I both know what will really happen, but she doesn’t have to. I don’t think we can trust her Secret Service agents fully. So if you could go over there to the spot where you usually summon Supergirl - that’s right, just inside the door of the fire escape - and you can send her right over while you get back to work.”

“Cat… this isn’t how I wanted this to be.”

A brisk nod is all the response she’s going to get for now, so Kara jogs over to the door and wrenches it open with a discreet spot of super strength. They don’t need to know it’s only supposed to open from the inside. From there it’s just a simple spin to change into the Supergirl suit - hair down, glasses tucked away, and her office clothes stashed behind a fire hose reel. Almost like every other time. 

It’s the longest walk of Kara’s life to the waiting chopper. The door has opened, two armed agents stepping out to guard it, although they don’t appear to be carrying anything that would affect Kara anyway. Cat has taken a seat next to the president, huge headset in place and talking urgently about something that makes her gesture even more than usual. She beckons for Kara to get a move on, so she speeds the last few yards and takes a seat facing them both. Moments later a headset is being jammed over her head and the agents have retaken their seats. Marine One takes off with an efficiency that’s almost Kryptonian in its speed.

“Madam President,” Kara begins, all of them talking over mics. “I just wanted you to know that you still have my support.”

“I’m not here for a rally, but thank you, Supergirl. I’m here to ask a favor of you, the same one I’ve already asked of Cat here. She assures me that you work well together, and that’s going to be necessary for what I have in mind.”

Kara blanches, wondering if that means some cheesy PR campaign. In their balcony conversations, Cat used to tease a bunch of endorsements that Supergirl could pick up, but as Kara pointed out it’s a cape, not a race car suit, and there’s no place for sponsors’ logos. A political ad campaign could be even more problematic, especially if President Marsdin is being hounded out of office right as they speak. 

“What did you have in mind, ma’am?” Kara asks the question of the president but she looks to Cat for answers. 

“I suppose you’d call it a delegation,” Cat replies. “Some of Earth’s finest residents doing a spot of planet-hopping. Goodwill to all aliens, gift baskets and whatnot. Sounds like a regular spring break if you tilt your head and squint a little.”

“You’re… what? Talking about going off-world? Wait, you’re sending Ms Grant to other planets? But Cat, what about Carter?”

“That was my first objection, but he thinks it’s the coolest thing since… well, since you saved a crashing train with him on it, in fact. And if I don’t go he’ll never speak to me again. How sweet of you to remember my son, Supergirl. It’s not like you had all that much contact with him.”

“No, right,” Kara says, catching on. “But he’s such a well-mannered, sweet boy. He always stands out for me.”

“Well, he is very special,” Cat admits. “Still, the idea is that in your role as Supergirl that you’d be a form of security. In most of the initial planets we’re reaching out to, it’s likely you’d retain your powers because they share either our yellow sun or one very similar to it.”

“If we send a huge delegation, if we send warlike ships, there’s a chance they won’t be welcomed,” the president says, taking over. “My plan is to use the DEO facilities to open talks and follow that with visits from a delegation focused on communication, cooperation, and peace. In a single spacecraft if possible.”

Kara smiles. Those are the kinds of missions she accompanied her parents on when they left Krypton for other worlds. It touches her deeply to think she might fulfil another part of their legacy. It might also be a way to see her mother more regularly on Argo. 

“That sounds admirable, and of course I’d be happy to help so long as National City and Earth were safe in my absence.” Kara takes a deep breath. No amount of reporting has made asking difficult questions any more pleasant for her. “But with all due respect, Madam President…”

“I think Supergirl is trying to delicately point out that your days in office seem numbered,” Cat finishes for her. “Something I’ve also brought up, ma’am. I don’t want to turn my life upside down for something that might be canceled by a vengeful successor in a matter of weeks.”

“I’ve made plans for that. The program once started won’t be able to be halted or defunded for at least five years. All I need is a committed team to launch it with. We’ll have one or two other specialists to travel with you as needed--most likely employees of the DEO or armed forces, in one capacity or another. If we can secure safe passage, we’ll also consider additional media personnel. Perhaps a CatCo reporter who can record the visits for us all.”

“I think I can handle some light press pool stories,” Cat answers, cutting Kara off before she inadvertently gives herself away. “But I’ll have people ready as we need them.”

“So where are we going now?” Kara asks. They haven’t been in the air for long, but the helicopter seems to be starting its descent. “Is there going to be some kind of press conference.”

“We need a meeting with Colonel Haley and some other ranking DEO officers,” the president explains. “We’ve decided to make the desert facility our base of operations for this program. They have everything we need for the training.”

“Training?” Kara repeats, raising an eyebrow. “I’m already maybe as fit as a person can get, and like you said, these other planets will be Kryptonian-friendly.”

“Cat has more conditioning work to do, yes, but there’s also the matter of diplomatic preparation. Neither one of you has handled international relations with this level of sensitivity.”

“Interplanetary,” Kara corrects, thinking of the badges her father used to wear with the Kryptonian word for that engraved into them. “But sure, count me in for whatever needs to be done. Earth should be a safe haven, and we want to put that message out into the galaxy.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” Cat says, agreeing with an enthusiastic nod. “Now, which of your strong silent types is carrying Dramamine?”


	3. Chapter 3

Cat is a little shaken by dropping the bombshell on Kara like that, but more confused that Kara could think the secret had held all this time. Didn’t she hear Cat calling her Supergirl when she flew off after the Daxam problem? Maybe superhearing is as selective as the regular human kind when a person is in deep denial. 

That said, it’s nice to have a superhero around. Kara is unobtrusive in cardigans and flat shoes. Supergirl leans into the drama much more, all swishing cape and striding in her heeled boots. Not that Cat is looking too closely, of course. She just has a natural appreciation for the aesthetic, nothing more. 

The DEO is the dreary hellhole she always imagined, and it almost makes her nostalgic for working out of dive bars in bad parts of town. They resent Cat’s intrusion, naturally, but can’t exactly toss her out when she’s there as a guest of both their president and their primary-color-wearing mascot. Supergirl is far more than that to Cat, of course, but she suspects these military types don’t appreciate her enough. All the more reason to shake up the super PR narrative. 

“Supergirl is our local asset.” The woman they all saluted and called Colonel is arguing with the president. Not many people take that direct an approach. There’s usually a lot more ass-kissing involved. At least to Olivia’s face, anyway. “What exactly are we supposed to do if she’s off-world for weeks and months at a time?”

“Exactly what Metropolis did when Superman decided to take his gap year on a chunk of his home planet,” Cat replies, speaking for the administration while she still can. “And what we did in National City prior to these last few years. Having Supergirl in our corner is a privilege, not a right, and we all should accept that someone with her talents will be useful in more than one way. You’ll have to catch your own criminals and put out your own fires for a while, that’s all.”

Cat’s expecting Kara to glare at her for messing with Haley, who’s basically Kara’s boss, but instead Cat is on the receiving end of a discreet but entirely-too-earnest thumbs up. Clearly not all is rosy in government superhero paradise, but Cat’s nose for a story will have to wait a while longer. 

“I’d like to volunteer for the mission, ma’am,” says the red-haired agent who hugged Kara when they arrived. She’s been around plenty of the battles Kara has waged in prime time, too. Maybe she was in the bar plotting with them a couple of years ago? “I have medical training, combat experience, and a proven track record of teamwork with Supergirl.”

“You have other responsibilities here, Director Danvers,” Haley replies, and Cat finally recognizes her as Kara’s fabled sister, the one who never gets the qualifier of foster or adoptive before her title. It’s as deep as a sibling bond can go, and the thought of being an outsider to that sets Cat’s teeth on edge. If she’s traveling with Kara, she wants at least some of her undivided attention. 

“But Colonel--”

“We’ll staff the mission according to our operational ability,” Haley says, shutting down the argument. “Madam President, is there anything else you’ll require from us?”

“They’ll need to be trained, and I expect this is the best facility we have outside of NASA. Those are proving trickier to get access to,” Olivia says, almost hiding her wince. “And honestly, their mode of space exploration is too limited for what we want. I mean jumps, portals, the quick way. Do I make myself clear?”

“Supergirl won’t be a problem, but is she fit enough for the demands of space travel?” Haley says, and for the first time she fully acknowledges Cat with a derisive look. “Civilians don’t always do well under the protocols we use, ma’am.”

“Your protocols can’t be any worse than six months with Serena Williams’ personal trainer, so yes, I do consider myself fit enough,” Cat answers. “Anyone else got insulting questions, or can we make a start?”

“It’s going to take the day to make preparations,” Alex speaks up, already working at something on her tablet. “But if you want to start brushing up on alien cultures, you can use our library here. Supergirl knows how to access it. Did you have planets in mind for your first few contacts?”

They all look to President Marsdin, but she just treats them all to one of her benevolent smiles.

“I wouldn’t presume to make that choice when I’m not the one making the trip. I’m sure with research Cat and Supergirl can readily identify our best starting points. Isn’t that right?”

“Actually,” Kara speaks up with barely a glance towards Cat. “I thought the best place to start might be with Argo. Not just because it’s populated by my… people, but because we have some contact already. An alliance with Earth might also allow them to rejoin the galaxy as a trading force, instead of staying in hiding like they’ve done in recent years.”

“That’s the kind of insight I was hoping for,” the president says, clapping her hands. “More of that, please. Now I really must be going. I have a number of hearts and minds to win over so I can stay in this job. I trust you’ll give our new Ambassador Grant all your support, and that goes for our honorary Emissary Supergirl, too.”

It’s as close as they’ll get to a formal ceremony, Cat is pretty sure. No doubt some paperwork will follow in due course. She tries the new title out in her head, with varying levels of emphasis. It doesn’t sound too bad. Then one of the agents nearest her interrupts the silent protest with a “Madam Ambassador? I can show you both to the library” and that seals the deal.

“How come you get to be the ambassador?” Kara grumbles as they wander down a long, dim corridor. “I’m the one who’s already been to twelve different planets.”

“I imagine it’s something tedious to do with citizenship,” Cat replies. “Do you really want to start telling everyone the name on your passport? Speaking of, remind me to clarify whether this is backed by international leaders, or if the initiative is US-only. Oh and we’ll need some kind of administrator to keep track of everything. You’ll have more than enough to do. And… Supergirl?”

Cat frantically rewinds what she just said to make sure she didn’t accidentally say Kara or anything else incriminating. Nope. So why has Kara stopped dead a few paces behind her?

“Yes?”

“I’m not your assistant anymore, Cat.” The DEO agent shoots Kara a knowing look. That one’s already in on the secret then. Cat takes note of the name on her uniform: Vasquez. Looks like she can handle herself, which is a plus. She can be request number one for their detail.

“I just said we’ll have to get someone to handle those things for us.”

“No, but the way you’re talking to me now. Rattling off orders and expecting me to catch all the details. I don’t… I don’t want to go back to that. It’s not how I pictured us working together again.”

The suit does add confidence, but there’s a faint wobble to Kara’s words, even as she stands there quietly flexing with her hands on her hips. She doesn’t fully realize how imposing she can be. This is going to take a little handling. Cat supposes she does still owe Kara that much. 

“You’re right. Old habits, dying hard. Forgive me? We don’t want to start our Diplomacy for Dummies course with an argument.”

Kara snorts. “It’s hardly for dummies. My IQ is somewhere over 180 by Earth measurements. And you’re pretty sharp yourself.”

There’s some honest to God swagger as Kara moves past her, setting Vasquez off again to lead them to the promised land of alien books or whatever the hell is waiting for them. Cat takes a quick look at the industrial-style surroundings and feels the prickle of sweat on her neck from less than optimal air-conditioning. 

Whatever Olivia has dragged her into this time, it had better be worth it.


	4. Chapter 4

Kara has always preferred this DEO base, even if the city building is a bit more convenient. Once this room had simply housed her mother’s hologram, but at Kara’s urging the agents have been using it as a place to store non-hostile alien artefacts, mostly books and papers that have been found during raids or handed in by well-meaning members of the public. A little while back under the Cadmus threats, alien texts were at risk of being burned in the streets like something straight out of an Orwellian nightmare, but things definitely seem calmer in National City now.

The items are arranged loosely by their origins in the solar system, but Kara has rarely strayed beyond the Kryptonian section. It’s not a patch on everything Kal has collected up at the Fortress, but it’s enough to ground her on the days that home and all her memories seem to belong to another life entirely. 

That had been before Argo, before the miracle of being hugged close by her mother once more. Even that most powerful and happy memory is starting to fade as time keeps passing, so Kara is pleased by the excuse to come and touch the pieces of metal and stone that hurtled through space to this new planet, just like she did. 

“This is quite the treasure trove,” Cat says from across the room, where she’s wielding a Starhavian mating sculpture like a weapon. “Is there going to be a pop quiz on all these dusty old things before they let me wander through the Milky Way?”

“You don’t know much about space, do you?” Kara doesn’t mean it as an accusation, but it certainly comes out that way. 

“I know that no one can hear you scream,” Cat replies, trading her sculpture for a Daxamite text that Kara has no interest in ever reading. The symbols soon stump Cat, and she sets that aside too. “Do you have any idea how we go about all this? Is there an app with a cute little bird to menace us into doing our daily homework?”

“I’m sure I could find someone to design one if that’s how you learn best?” Kara suggests, but Brainy isn’t as good at making human-accessible things like Winn was. “I guess I should just try and plot a logical path through it all and teach you everything I know? Which is quite a lot, considering.”

“Considering?” 

“That I came here before I turned thirteen and most of my space travel before that was with my parents. I picked up more than the other spoiled Kryptonian kids did. I was actually interested, so that helped.”

“Your parents were diplomats?” Cat seems intrigued enough to start making her way over to Kara. “So you were basically born to this career change?”

“Not diplomats,” Kara replies with a shake of her head. My mother was--is--a judge and my father served on the Science Guild. They were often sent as experts to other planets to advise. I suppose they were emissaries, in their own special ways.”

“Mmm.” Cat gives one of her more enigmatic smiles. “So in a way, it’s nothing more than going into the family business. You have unique skills that we need to share with other planets. What’s that old line about history and being doomed to repeat it?”

“That’s only if you don’t learn your history,” Kara replies. “Or learn from it, I suppose. And I’d be proud to follow in their footsteps.”

“You mentioned this Argo place, I heard bits and pieces at the White House. Is it true your family survived?”

It’s nice not to have to look around for eavesdroppers. Vasquez let them into the room with her keycard and then disappeared back to her post. They’re all alone with just the books to overhear them. 

“My mother, yes.” Kara takes the kind of deep, steadying breath that seems to be required on the rare times she’s able to discuss the topic. “I was looking for a power source last year, a sort of mission I guess. Along the way I found a chunk of Krypton that survived. I’m so grateful, I just…”

“It must be quite something. To get her back after all this time. My mother? Hmm, I’d gleefully trade her to another galaxy just to keep LeBron’s with the Lakers. You know why; you’ve met her. But for you… Weren’t you tempted, Kara?”

“Tempted by what?” Kara decides playing dumb for a moment longer is her best option. She suspects Cat’s first question is exactly where Kara’s thoughts went the moment she’d felt her mother’s arms pressing against her. 

“Tempted to stay, of course. I mean it’s not just a person, it’s part of your world that you thought you could never see again. I don’t know what it’s like compared to Earth, but the emotional pull alone must have left even you weak in the knees.”

“Oh, I don’t have powers on Argo,” Kara says, hoping that’s deflection enough. She should know better by now with Cat.

“Yes, yes, but powers aren’t everything to you. Not when you spent a decade denying you even had them. Wouldn’t you just love to turn back time? Go back to being a daughter and a, a… well, whatever a person with a lot of cardigans does on a planet like that I suppose. Get back the life you should have had, instead of clearing up all the messes humans make?”

Kara walks away from their conversation at that point, trying to gather her thoughts. Cat always gets to the heart of the matter, taps into the big, messy ideas that Kara can’t dare to lose herself in. It takes a moment pretending to be fascinated by the light switches to find her voice again.

“It’s weird,” she says. “Being able to talk about this with you. I’ve wanted to tell you so many times, to see how these problems would look with your perspective on them. And now, here we are. Right on the verge of another crazy adventure. Only this time you’re not just telling me it’s okay to want to save the people I care about first. You’re saying I can be selfish and walk out of the life I’ve built here. That I could get back the one I thought I’d lost. But I don’t think I could do that, Cat. I don’t think I have it in me.”

“It’s easier than you think.” Cat’s voice is uncharacteristically small, but she’s right behind Kara when she says it. A tentative hand lands on Kara’s left shoulder and pats it gently: once, twice. “Sometimes you really do have to put yourself first. Anyway, it doesn’t matter much now, now when it looks like you can have the best of both worlds. Literally.”

“What do you mean?” When Kara turns around it dislodges Cat’s hand, and she misses the contact as soon as it ends. 

“Establish diplomatic links and you can go to Argo every other weekend. It’ll be like my custody arrangement, only I’m assuming your mother isn’t a borderline narcissist with too much fondness for online poker?”

Kara files that away as just one more thing she didn’t know about Cat’s life. She wonders if Carter knows that about his father, or if Cat shields him from the knowledge like she does from so many other unpleasant things. 

“Well, maybe. Anyway, I think we should identify the first three planets,” Kara says, seizing on the details of the plan that’s starting to formulate in the back of her mind. “Argo and two others that we’re sure have language capability and some kind of technology that makes the travel easy on us. We don’t want you exhausted by galactic jetlag in the first month.”

“Is that even a thing?” Cat gives Kara a suspicious look, but moves over to the table that dominates the center of the room, taking a seat at the head of it. “But fine, I agree with your phase one. If you gather up the materials, do you think there’s any chance we can get someone to do a Noonan’s run?”

“It’s usually just canteen coffee out here,” Kara replies, with a sympathetic shrug. “But I bet I can find out where Alex keeps the good stuff. She loves her coffee too much not to have a stash here somewhere.”

“Okay, so setting Argo aside, which other planets sound like a good idea?”


	5. Chapter 5

Cat could listen to Kara tell stories all day.

That wasn’t always the case back when she was still CEO. In those days Kara’s rambling and conversational tangents had cost too many valuable minutes. Now Cat is more aware of the simple pleasure in letting everything take the time it needs to. It still doesn’t allow for incompetence, but there’s no sign of that so far. Besides, a couple of years of reporting and being heavily edited has really sharpened up Kara’s ability to handle the narrative.

Argo seems like something out of the clunky science-fiction shows that used to air after school when Cat was little, all cardboard sets and weapons made from aluminum foil. She quickly agrees that it’s the best place to start, and that has nothing to do with the flutter in her stomach whenever Kara breaks out into one of those million-watt smiles at getting to explain something she loves about her home planet. Whether it’s something about the plant that grows with her, or the fabric of the robes, she’s so damn proud of it all that even Cat is starting to feel faintly patriotic about it. 

Eventually the sister comes to interrupt, muttering quietly to Kara at first, though she never takes her eyes off Cat. Irked by the rudeness, Cat gets up to stretch her legs and interrupt.

“You must be Alex,” she says, shaking hands and hoping that nothing gets crushed. There’s a certain ruggedness to the woman for having such a slender frame. The hair is very ‘I got my copy of Ingenue a couple of decades late’ but it works with Alex’s bone structure at least. “We didn’t really get to talk when we last met, but thanks for loaning the administration your sister.”

“Well, nothing’s set in stone yet. The president doesn’t seem to have noticed that the country is in the middle of debating whether she actually _is _their president right now. The calls for impeachment--”

“Pfft,” Cat dismisses with a flap of her hands. “This Congress? They couldn’t spell impeach with flashcards and a context clue. Olivia thinks she can weather the storm, and I for one wouldn’t bet against her.”

“You’re not staying on as her official mouthpiece though,” Alex fires right back. “Some would say that’s deserting a sinking ship.”

“Some would. Others would see the bigger picture, see that this move is about both legacy and creating a future. I don’t want my sons living through another Cadmus, treating alien visitors as criminals before their feet even touch the soil. I’ve built my life around helping people communicate, Agent Danvers. I’m not about to stop now.”

The appraising look is absolutely scalding, but Cat holds steady; she doesn’t even blink.

“Well, you give good speeches. I’ll give you that.” Alex sits on the table instead of any of the available chairs, the holsters for her various weapons straining a little at her hips and thighs. It’s not without its visual appeal.

Right. That’s three women today alone. Cat does some quick mental arithmetic and comes up with a number greater than she’d like. It’s _entirely_ possible that she needs to get laid. Before she embarrasses herself fawning over all these G.I. Janes. 

As though the very term has conjured her up, the next interruption comes from none other than Little Lane herself. She’s in her Class As instead of Balenciaga, but it still looks great on her.

“I heard we had Cat Grant in the building, so I had to come see for myself.”

“At least this explains why you didn’t need a reference from me,” Cat explains. “Still holding the rank of Major?”

Lucy scrunches her face for a second, so easy digs do work as well on her as they do on her sister. Good to know. 

“I’m military liaison for your new program,” Lucy replies. “Think yourself lucky, because my father was set on volunteering. Someone must have seen sense though, or they convinced him he’s too senior for such a small mission. That would have been my tactic.”

“The fact they’re sending someone from the JAG corps means they’re concerned we’ll… what? Mess with immigration policy? Accidentally sign over Alaska in exchange for a giant Toblerone in duty free?”

“The army has any number of reservations about foreign hostiles visiting Earth, but I’m assured this diplomatic mission is intended to ease relations, not generate more invading parties. Although I have to say, Cat... I saw your little dialogue with Queen Rhea, and I have my concerns.”

“Ms Grant is great at making people see sense,” Kara says, jumping to her defense right away. “And getting people to compromise.” 

That’s right. Other people compromise so Cat doesn’t have to. Kara really has been paying attention. 

“I won’t interfere this early in the process,” Lucy continues, taking her hat from where it’s tucked under her arm and putting it back on top of her head. “You’re going to have some fun times with our trainers first. Good luck with that.”

“Speaking of, you should probably wrap up for the day,” Alex tells them. “Go home and get plenty of rest, Ambassador Grant. I’ve booked you in with our toughest trainers in the morning, and Kara will be going through it with you.”

“I will?” Kara asks.

“Well, by picking Argo you’ve gone with somewhere you won’t have powers, Kara.” Alex watches Cat for a reaction, but she doesn’t give away anything at discovering Lucy Lane is also in on the secret. It might be quicker to work out who isn’t at this point. “So the gym will be rigged up with red sun lamps to put you through your paces.”

“Oh. I didn’t think of that. Ugh, human strength means sweating and pulling muscles doesn’t it?”

Cat swallows hard. She’s going to need all her focus in the morning to not be completely distracted. 

“Okay, can someone arrange transport for me?” Cat asks. “I’d call my driver but I doubt I have a single bar of reception down here. That, plus I imagine this address won’t exactly show on their GPS.”

Alex grimaces but she’s about to agree when Kara cuts her off. 

“I know you’d appreciate getting home to Carter sooner, so if you want I can… you know, up, up, and away?”

The look passed between Alex and Lucy isn’t one Cat cares to decipher, not when she could take in the sight of a lightly-blushing Kara instead. What else can a soon to be space traveler say to an offer like that?”

“Lead the way, Supergirl. And make sure you don’t mess my hair up too badly.”


	6. Chapter 6

Kara knows the visit is coming. She doesn’t need to listen for the familiar brisk footsteps or the strong heartbeat that used to soothe her during those first restless weeks on Earth. At least in her hurry to yell at Kara, Alex still remembered to stop for pizza on the way over.

“Okay, before you start--”

“Oh, I am gonna start,” Alex says, setting down the five boxes and lifting her own from the top. “There’s a whole big middle, and boy, do you want to be sitting down for the end. I leave you alone for a few days and suddenly you’re going into _space_ with Cat Grant? The actual Cat Grant, once your boss from hell and undoubtedly still your massively unresolved crush? Trust me Kara, I am starting.”

Kara slumps forward, banging her head against the pizza boxes in mock defeat. The cheese smells fantastic. That’s just one of a thousand things about this planet Kara can’t give up, no matter how tempting Argo might be. She has a new thing for that list too, on top of flying. It’s one of the best feelings in the world, but it now has a whole other level: flying with Cat Grant in her arms. 

Telling Alex that would only lead to more scolding though, so Kara keeps the very pleasant memory distinctly to herself. It’s not going to be a problem, this residual crush. It’s just getting a second wind because Cat is right back in Kara’s life after so much absence. Anyone would be a little distracted, and there’s no denying that Cat can be very, very distracting. 

“I only found out about it today, Alex,” Kara starts to explain herself with no small amount of reluctance. “The freaking president asked me personally. You know I’m a total fangirl of hers, and despite all this hoo-hah about where she was born, I really think she’s the best person to lead us right now. Plus, you know what it means to me to be able to travel to Argo with good reason. To be able to see my mom maybe semi-regularly? That would be just beyond anything I could ever have hoped for.”

“Okay, don’t try and deflect with the miracle-Mom’s-alive card. This is just like how you always cheat in Monopoly by hiding $100 under your cushion right at the start when you think no one is paying attention.”

“I do _not_ do that!” Kara is lying through her teeth, but the outrage sounds pretty genuine. She’s sure of it. Alex’s glare suggests maybe Kara still isn’t a very good liar. “And I’m not deflecting. What sort of training are you going to put us through, anyway?”

“Some standard cardio, flexibility, lots of measuring and blood tests as you’d expect. Then we’re focusing on anti-gravity environments, self-defense, and what we don’t really have a term for beyond jetlag. Obviously it’s going to be much harder on Cat than you, since most places will be under a similar sun. But you know all that. Question is, how are you going to handle it?”

“What does that mean?” Kara asks around a cheesy mouthful of happiness. “Handle what?”

“Handle who, more like,” Alex replies, opening a bottle of white wine and pouring them both a glass. “Are you really going to snap back to Kara Danvers, the doormat assistant? _Yes Ms Grant, no Ms Grant. I’ll just step out here and get you some dust from that passing comet Ms Grant._ You know what I’m saying.”

“Well, first of all, it’s Supergirl who’s traveling with her officially. Not Kara Danvers. And we’re going to have an assistant here on Earth who handles all the admin. Eve would have been perfect if Lena hadn’t already poached her.” Kara takes a breath. 

“I know you don’t see it Alex, but Cat does respect me. We’ll prove it during our training. And if she doesn’t? If she goes back to the worst of her old ways? Then I won’t go with her, and President Marsdin can ask J’onn or someone else to travel with her.”

“You really think you mean that,” Alex says after a quiet moment stretches out between them. “Oh Kara, just promise me you’ll be careful. I know what it’s like to get your heart broken, and believe me, I wouldn’t ever wish that for you.”

“I’ve had heartbreaks,” Kara scoffs, but Alex just looks puzzled. “Uh, Mon-El? Left me twice? Showed up married?”

Alex scrunches up her face. “That hardly counts, Kara. The thing with Mon-El took you a hot shower and a box of brownies to get over, in the grand scheme of things. But Cat? I’m not sure even you could bounce back if she ground you under her heel. And a stiletto heel at that.”

“Oh, shut up and eat your pizza, Alex.”

“Kara--”

“And thank you,” she continues, pulling her sister into a one-armed hug that almost spills Alex’s wine. “I know you always have my back.”

“I do,” Alex agrees. “Now put me down and get Netflix fired up, would you? Jessica Jones waits for no woman.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: there's a good bit of talk about character death in this chapter

He’s already in bed, lying on top of the sheets, but Cat can tell at a glance that Carter isn’t sleeping. She knows the rhythm of his breathing as surely as she knows her own, the product of so many nights glued to baby monitors, of nursing him through bronchitis and juvenile asthma that he seems to have finally grown out of. 

And growing is all he seems to do lately. This boy who was once tiny enough for her to balance on one arm is now fast approaching Cat’s height. Actually, he’s just about pulled level with her actual height, so she’s clinging on to that last inch or two advantage that a succession of killer heels grants her. 

“Sweetheart?” She doesn’t call him that so much now, unless they’re alone. He’s never had to ask her to use it in place of an endearment, Cat just knows in the instinctive way that mothers do. In front of his friends and his father certainly, he prefers his proper name. More of that growing up that both delights her and breaks her heart every day.

“Hey, mom!” Carter sits up with a long stretch, limbs already taking proportion for the man he’s growing into. “I thought you’d be back later than this.”

“Well, first day. I didn’t exactly take over the place, but it started well enough. How is it being back in your old room?” 

“Better than being at dad’s, that’s for sure. Did you have dinner? I ate already, Ella cooked for us both, but I asked her to put a plate aside for you.”

“I did forget to eat,” Cat admits, taking a seat on the edge of Carter’s bed. Unable to resist, she reaches across and tousles his hair. To her chagrin, he keeps his beautiful curls much shorter now, but then any son of hers was bound to get caught up in the current styles at some point. Carter is exceptional, but he is still human. “I’m sorry for all the upheaval lately, darling. I wanted you to be as settled as possible for high school.”

“Life isn’t settled, Mom.” There’s that slight impatience in his tone, that always makes her smile even if she hides it. “It would be boring if I just did the same stuff in the same places all the time. In fact, if you really wanted to help my education, you could broaden my horizons.”

“And how would I do that, hmm?” Cat kicks off her shoes, something she should have done at the front door, but the giddy experience of flying home in Supergirl’s strong arms means she entered the house through the dining room, with its French windows. “Let me guess, you’re thinking… travel to other planets? Exploring the galaxy?”

“Exactly,” Carter says with a grin. “Come on, you always get me into things, even when there are no kids allowed. How can they deny someone who’s seen every episode of Star Trek twice a place on your space mission? I even watched Enterprise, Mom. _Enterprise_.”

“I know you did, and I know you’re mostly kidding but Carter I think we need to discuss this.”

“Yeah, I got it. No interplanetary field trips until college. Totally unfair.”

“No,” Cat replies. She doesn’t want to put this conversation off any longer. She leans back until the wall is supporting her, one of Carter’s pillows in her lap as she fusses idly with the stitching on it. “But while we’re talking about me and this new job, there are some things I need to tell you. Things we both need to understand. And once I do that, if you don’t want me to go anymore, then I’ll call the whole thing off. I’m sure they’ll get Maxwell Lord or some other business mogul to go in my place.”

“Isn’t he in prison in Sweden or something?” Carter asks. “And of course I’ll still want you to go, Mom. It’s space. _Actual_ space.”

His enthusiasm is so contagious. Cat wonders if she’s been cruising on it, subconsciously using it to silence her own doubts. Her constant quest to be the cool mom, the best mom, to give Carter everything he wants, even if only by proxy. All of that has brought her to this position. 

“It’s a very exciting opportunity,” she begins. “Even more so now that they’re assembling a team, including Supergirl. She’s obviously very experienced in dealing with other cultures, and of course her powers should keep the whole delegation safe. It would be a lot like those times when I had some extra security, in a way.”

“You mean like when you got those scary emails?”

Cat nods. That’s one of the few times she actually told him, once he was old enough to have to look out for himself as well as travel with a discreet security detail. Part of being a mother in her position is hiding the many complicated ways she keeps him safe without him ever being aware of it. 

“And the truth is, Carter, that although the best people are working very hard, I would still be placing myself directly in danger. Going into situations where we can’t predict the outcome. Taking some very big, very real risks.”

“Mom? Are you saying you’re scared?” He’s looking at her the way she’d once looked at her own father. Willing him not to shatter the illusion that everything terrifying in life could be solved with a hug from a loving parent, that no situation could ever truly be impossible. Cat’s first instinct is to lie to him. To be the inspirational slogan she wants to see in the world. Carter is still a teenager, still has the chance to believe he can do anything he sets his mind to. As a mother, she owes him more honesty than that. 

“I am a little scared,” Cat confesses, patting his knee. “And being scared is never, ever anything to be ashamed of. I want you to always know that, especially as you grow up. People will tell you it’s shameful, as a man, and you know better than that. Okay?”

It’s Carter’s turn to nod. He places his hand carefully on top of hers, like he’s the one trying to reassure her. 

“But as with so many things in this life, I’m going to be scared and still do the thing that scares me. As safely and as thoroughly as I can. I want to have new experiences, and I want to use the skills I have to help people. I might not have superpowers, but I do know how to talk to people. I know how to organize them, and get the best out of them. So I’m going to be the ambassador.”

“That’s so cool,” Carter says. “But I thought you had already decided that?”

“Mostly, yes. Today showed me some of the harsh truths of what this job will really involve. Long, dangerous trips to places where we might not be welcomed. Space travel isn’t exactly reliable, and there’s always a risk of getting lost or worse, stranded. If I go on these trips it won’t be easy to leave you behind, darling. It’s never been easy to leave you. But we both need to know that if the worst were to happen…”

She can’t do it. She’s had every conceivable parental talk with this wonderful boy, who always made it easy on her with his curious questions and lack of judgment. Cat has explained life and death and everything under the sun, but when it comes to telling her son how to go on without her, she’s finally run out of words. 

“Mom, you’re going with _Supergirl_. No matter what happens, she’s a hero and she’ll protect you from everything. She’ll bring you back safe and sound, I know it.”

“I love that you have such trust in her,” Cat admits. “But this is very difficult for me to say, and I’d like to know that I’ve said it, Carter. Even just this once.”

“Okay. You can say it.”

“If anything happens to me, you won’t have to worry about anything. You’ll have your father, of course. And money won’t be an issue, this house is yours and so is everything else you might need. Those are just practical things, but I want you to know those plans are all made. Most importantly, if my life ends on some strange planet, or in some shuttle crash…” 

That isn’t easy to say. Cat is comfortable with most topics, but her own mortality has never been one of them. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and forces herself to carry on. Since the moment she first held Carter in her arms, she had promised herself there would be nothing important left unsaid. When she opens her eyes to look at him again, she finds enough composure to continue. 

“Sweetheart, I want you to know that I have loved you since the very first second I knew you. Before you were born, even. Being your mom, watching you grow up to become this fine young man… I didn’t know I could be so lucky, Carter. So if there ever comes a time when I’m not here to say it again, please remember that I love you, okay? And I am so, so proud of you. I always will be, no matter what.”

“I love you too,” Carter says, and they’re both crying when he launches himself at her for a bone-crushing hug. “But honestly Mom, wouldn’t it be easier to just come back in one piece?”

Cat laughs against his shoulder, before pressing a big loud kiss to the side of his head. “Oh, well why did I think of that?”

“Yeah, think of the headlines. Cat Grant Runs Out of Earth to Conquer, Moves on to Mars. Nobody ever wrote that about Lois Lane, did they?”

For that he gets another kiss. 

“Okay, my perfect boy. Bedtime for you, and for me.”

“You never go to bed before midnight,” he replies, instantly suspicious as she clambers back off his bed. 

“Well tomorrow I have a special agent putting me through my paces in the gym. And you know I like to kick butt on my first days.”

“You will, Mom. You always do.”

She wishes him goodnight and turns his lamp off as she moves off towards the door. “Try and put your iPad off before your eyes start crossing. Promise?”

“Mmhmm,” he lies, already engrossed in something on its screen. 

Cat walks down the hall with her shoes in one hand, intent on picking out her gym wear before going to retrieve her plate of leftovers. Ella is a decent cook, most of the reason she’s been kept on past the point where Carter actually needs a nanny. He has his learner’s permit for god’s sakes, even if he doesn’t accept that his lessons won’t be in the yellow Lamborghini Cat keeps in the parking garage downstairs. 

For a moment she thinks about calling Kara, about calling the whole thing off. She shouldn’t be scaring Carter like this, doesn’t even know where to begin having a similar conversation with Adam, or if she’s even allowed to try. 

“Get it together,” she mutters to herself. This is no time to start going soft. There are agents and majors to impress in the morning, and that’s going to take her most serious workout clothes. 


	8. Chapter 8

Kara makes sure to detour via Noonan’s on her way out to the DEO. She is definitely not disappointed that Alex has arranged a daily transport detail for Cat. Nope, not even a little. And okay, maybe the best way to establish their new post-assistant working relationship isn’t by reverting to fetching coffee and breakfast for Cat, but the note of familiarity feels right when they’re heading into so much unknown. 

It’s nice to be out in the desert again, to fly in through the disused tunnel with sand spraying up in all directions. Coming in this way means she can sneak up on the control deck. Lucy is already in place, talking over something with Commander Haley that seems to have them both pretty animated. No dress uniform today for Lucy, she’s in a dark olive version of the DEO fatigues that Alex and Vasquez wear, only the shirt bears the markings of her rank. 

Giving them a wave, Kara makes her way back to the ‘library’ assuming she’ll have beaten Cat to the punch. 

She should have known better. 

When the door opens it reveals Cat already situated at the table with a stack of books, a thick notebook and her trusty fountain pen. Well, one of them. She’s pretty careless with her possessions, so Kara knows there are at least twenty of the things in circulation. It gives her an odd little pang to know someone else has been keeping track of them without her help.

“Are you going to stand there all morning staring at my stationery, or bring that coffee over here and give it a quick zap of the old _pew-pew_?” Cat doesn’t look up but she pauses in her note-taking long enough to gesture with two fingers between her eyes and the desk. Seems she really does know all of the Supergirl secrets Kara thought she’d been keeping. 

“Alex will come and get us in a little while for the whole physical exam and blood tests,” Kara explains, setting down their coffees and heating them with a sheepish grin. For Cat she adds a small bowl of granola pre-mixed with yogurt and honey, which doesn’t look like much next to Kara’s three bagels, two muffins, and as many cookies as she could stuff in the bag. 

“You’ll have to get them to look at your metabolism for this trip. I assume they’ll want us on that astronaut cube food, and I don’t think that’s going to be enough for your… appetite.” There’s something a little loaded about the way Cat looks up at her over her glasses, the dark frames making her expression harder to read. 

“Cat, have you been up all night making the world’s longest to-do list?”

“Me?” Cat dismisses the idea with an eye roll. She stands up as she grabs her coffee, and that’s when Kara understands the first level of exactly how screwed she is. The hoodie is fine, though it’s as fitted as everything else Cat is wearing. The running tights are cropped revealing toned calves beneath the sheer black material. Kara can’t remember when she last saw Cat in flats, but the brand new Nikes look distinctly limited edition. After taking a sip of her coffee, she lets her eyes flutter closed for a second, and that is definitely a soft moan that seems to echo in the quiet room. 

“Not bad,” Cat says. Then she pulls a hairband from her wrist and pulls her hair back into a short ponytail. Kara hadn’t realized it was already long enough for her to do that. Suddenly there’s hardly any space between them. Kara grabs a cookie and takes a bite out of it. At least with her mouth full, there’s less chance of blurting out something stupid.

There’s a knock at the door. Kara almost ricochets off the ceiling, but the movement is so quick Cat doesn’t seem to register it. 

“Alex! There you are!” Kara says with a little too much enthusiasm. “You’re ready?”

“Yeah, come up to the lab first. Both of you. Hope you’re not scared of needles, Ambassador.”

“I’m not big on titles, Director Danvers. You can just call me Cat,” she says, coming to join them as they start off down the long hallway.

“Cat, then. And you can call me... Director Danvers.”

Kara elbows Alex for the pointless power play, but all she gets is a cheeky smile in response. Cat rolls her eyes at their sibling nonsense, but before long they’re in the elevator up to the labs where Kara has recovered from countless injuries and power outages. 

That’s where she really runs into trouble, because if Cat looked good in her workout gear with the hoodie zipped up, it’s no preparation for how she looks when she takes it off. Of course she’s only wearing a crop top under it. Humans overheat so easily, and Cat has never been shy about putting her figure on display. She probably doesn’t even think twice about it. Even Alex sneaks a second look, one that immediately makes Kara want to send a warning laser blast. 

As if she’s oblivious to the attention she’s garnering, Cat hops up on the waiting gurney. Not until having given it a cursory wipe down with an antiseptic wipe, from the box that Alex has set on the table beside them. Kara reminds her legs they can still move and takes up her spot on the gurney facing Cat. At least out of the supersuit this will be easier. Kara has opted for the plain gray tracksuit she usually wears around the DEO when her Supergirl colors aren’t appropriate. 

“I’ll start with Cat,” Alex is explaining, pulling a fresh syringe from its sealed packet. “But in the meantime, you can start adjusting.” She slides something on her tablet and suddenly the room is bathed in a warm red glow. Cat looks like she has a crack about red lights just waiting to be unleashed, but she lets her curiosity win out instead. 

For Kara it’s such a weird sensation. She blinks a few times and it almost doesn’t seem different at all. Then she realizes how quiet the world around her is, how much more solid everything seems when she can’t see through it. She flexes her fingers a few times and then prods at her forearms. It feels different, like pressing down can actually affect her. Out of habit, she reaches down and pinches herself on the thigh.

“Ow,” she mutters. “Why do I always forget I don’t like that?”

“That day in my office, you really didn’t have powers,” Cat says, arm extended while Alex drains a vial of blood from her, another one waiting to be filled as soon as it’s done. The way Cat is staring at Kara it seems like she might have x-ray vision. It’s more than a little unsettling. “You must hurt yourself all the time like this. You haven’t built up the subconscious ways of protecting yourself the way we fragile humans do.”

“It’s not that bad,” Kara assures her. Alex snorts but doesn’t add anything. “I mean, on Krypton I had all my formative years without powers. It’s just that here when I forget or misjudge something, well… it really does hurt them more than it hurts me.”

“How are you feeling?” Alex asks. “Last time your powers were out you had that low-grade fever. And the headaches.”

“Fine,” Kara replies. “Really Alex, I feel almost completely normal. I just don’t have that lightness anymore, that feeling that I can throw myself in the air and I’ll actually fly. Oh, and there’s a faint ringing in my left ear. That’s it, I swear.”

Kara knows if she doesn’t give some kind of symptom Alex will just check twice as thoroughly, so she adds the ear bit for authenticity. Before long Cat is all done with the bloodwork, a cotton ball taped to her bare arm, and it’s Kara’s turn to squirm at the feeling of metal in her arm.

“Will I have to take anything?” Cat asks Alex as she works. “Supplements, some kind of vaccine for space? You must have some ideas already.”

“We have some theories, but we’ll need your blood results to confirm.” Alex keeps her eyes on Kara the whole time. “But you’ve already signed all the consents we need, so everything will be prescribed. This isn’t some buffet where you’ll get to pick and choose.”

“Alex…” Kara warns, but Cat is ready to fight her own battles. 

“No, that’s fair. If I’d heard the stories you no doubt heard from Kara here, I would think I’m a spoiled brat too. Maybe I am in some ways, but when the world is waiting for your every move, sometimes other people pick up the slack. That doesn’t mean I can’t hunker down and be one of the team, Director. I’ve done my time in the trenches.”

“I don’t want my sister and my agents endangered by pointless requests and tantrums out in space, that’s all.” Alex finishes up with Kara but doesn’t move to send the blood vials off just yet. She faces down Cat instead. “And you can’t just walk into alien civilizations and expect them to bend to your will like it’s CatCo.”

“I’m well aware that this isn’t my company,” Cat replies, approaching Alex more directly. “But I’m not about to change a lifetime habit of knowing what needs to be done and making it happen. I know how to work with a team, and endangering Supergirl means risking that I won’t make it home to my son. So if that gives you any reassurance, you’re welcome to it. I won’t be offering any more than that.”

The two stare each other down as Kara watches on helplessly. Her first instinct is to throw herself between them, but she knows this has to be worked out if they’re going to have any success at all.

“Okay,” Alex finally says, her shoulder dropping half an inch. “Let’s get your scans finished and get down to the gym.”

“Yes,” Cat replies. “Let’s.”


	9. Chapter 9

She regrets her hurry about three-quarters of the way through the first session. Cat has made no secret of her personal goal to keep as fit and as trim as possible, but even she starts to flounder after the halfway point.

The one consolation is that Kara is faring worse, if anything. She may be younger and fitter, but more than a decade of an invincible body has left her soft and lazy in a lot of ways. There’s no denying the muscle definition, which Kara claims comes from the constant adjustments of tension she uses to keep her powers in check. Rarely is her body fully relaxed, Cat has noticed that much. 

The adapted form of yoga is Cat’s personal torture. Oh she dabbles with the best of them, but her personal regimen is based on Pilates and good old-fashioned aerobic exercise. Having to sit still and clear her mind is a particular kind of torture for a mind like Cat’s. Her body doesn’t react well to the lack of motion either. 

“Are we done yet?” She hisses to Kara, who seems entirely blissed out sitting in lotus position. “Come on, how long do we have to stare at the inside of our eyelids?”

“Quiet,” Alex warns from the front of the room, a little further from them than she needs to be. Clearly she expected some of Kara’s wild guesses about her own speed and reach. 

“I could be using this time to do something productive,” Cat mutters, and Alex finally motions for them to stand.

“Water break, and then we’re going to look at some basic defensive moves with the pads, okay?” Alex doesn’t wait to see if that is, in fact, okay. She’s out the door seconds later, leaving the two of them alone. 

“Pretty tough, right?” Kara stands and shakes off the stillness, taking a long swig from her water bottle that requires tipping her head back and fully displaying the elegant lines of her throat. Cat finds herself mesmerised, and ends up pouring most of her own attempt at hydrating over her chin. “If exercise was always this tough for me I don’t think I’d ever move. Professional couch potato would be my natural limit as a human.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Cat answers, wiping her chin. “Your sister doesn’t have much in the way of mercy.”

“You haven’t even seen her fight training yet,” Kara warns. “When it’s just the two of us she really likes throwing me into walls and slamming me into the floor. Sort of her payback for all the times she smacked me when we were kids and ended up more hurt than I did. I mean, it’s fine,” she adds off Cat’s horrified look. “As soon as the lighting changes I heal instantly. Like it never happened.”

“Still--”

“It’s just sister stuff,” Kara continues. “She won’t go that hard on you, anyway. No wall slams, I promise. And if she does, she’ll have me to answer to.”

And Cat just about finds religion in that moment because _Jesus Christ_ Kara actually flexes. It’s just one arm, the posture loose and joking around, but the definition and the momentary fierceness hits Cat like a power line. 

“Right,” she says, licking her lips because her mouth has suddenly gone dry. “Good. I’m not really here for the slamming. Not in these clothes anyway.”

Cat isn’t so far gone that she doesn’t see the way Kara takes a long, guilty look at her. The crop top really is about keeping cool, it’s always been her preferred style for working out. While her abs might lack the definition she’s glimpsed when Kara’s full-length tank top lifts, there’s no point lying about the fact that she’s in pretty good shape even after carrying two children. A lifetime of working out and some minor surgical procedures have certainly helped. 

“Everybody ready?” Alex asks as she returns. “Because there’s more upheaval back at the White House apparently. The president sent word that she wants this first mission ready to ship out early next week. Purely because it’s Argo and we already have a connection there. We’re making preparations.”

“Next week?” Kara repeats, lighting up like the Metropolis skyline after dark. “Rao, Alex. That’s fantastic.”

“That sound good to you, Ambassador?” Alex asks. There’s nothing but challenge in her tone.

“Next week,” Cat agrees, although her stomach seems to have plummeted to somewhere near her ankles. “We’d better get on with it then.”

“Okay,” Alex says. “I’ve got some pads here. Kara, we’ll let Cat punch first. Now, let me look at your posture…”

Cat lets them fuss over stances and pretends to listen while Alex lectures about good technique and the importance of reaction time. Glancing at one of the large maps that decorates the wall, Cat tries not to think about the scale of what they’re undertaking, of how ill-prepared she still feels for the mission ahead. It’s exactly how she felt the night before she launched CatCo, before telling Perry White where he could stick his job, his newspaper, and his chair-throwing tantrums.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Alex says, finally. She gestures for Cat to take a swing.

“We don’t have to do this,” Kara starts to protest. “Even without my powers, I doubt Cat is going to really do any damage here, so if we build up over a few--”

And Cat doesn’t really mean to knock her one-time assistant fully on her ass, but _godfuckingdamn_ is it satisfying. 

“Hey!” Kara gasps from where she’s flat on her back, ponytail fanning out behind her head. Alex is already moving between them, ready to tackle Cat if she so much as flinches. “You can really hit!”

“Do you really think this is my first rodeo? That a woman who’s survived three kidnapping attempts hasn’t put in any work on upper body strength? It’s always more fun when someone underestimates me.”

“She got lucky, Kara,” Alex replies, loyal to a fault. “But this is an object lesson in why you have to keep your guard up at all times. Bullets and small, angry fists won’t just bounce right off you like this.”

Cat steps around Alex and offers Kara a hand up. She doesn’t need it, doing a half-spring back to standing as soon as she catches her breath. 

“That was fun,” Kara says, eyes flashing a little darker than usual. “And I never underestimate you, Ms Grant.”

Well. That’s new. Kara has used that title a thousand times or more, but Cat’s damn sure she never said it quite like that. And in a setting where Cat would have been permitted, if not downright expected. That slight breathless quality suggests… things that Cat is resolutely not thinking about. She’s saved from looking at Kara, with her sculpted bare arms, by the arrival of Lucy Lane.

“Did I miss the bit where they get to hit each other?” She asks. “Ambassador. Supergirl.” They all exchange briefs nods of greeting. 

“Well, slugger here just knocked Kara on her butt, so you might want to give different odds out on the floor,” Alex replies. “Now both of you, watching me. If someone is coming at you, this is the stance you need to find yourselves in.”

Shaking off her temporary distraction, Cat mirrors the way Alex is standing. Kara follows suit, and Cat can feel the heat of the glances that are coming her way, even if Kara doesn’t currently have lasers in her eyes. 

“Just a heads up. Kara we’d like you to make contact with Argo tomorrow morning so we can fix an itinerary for the visit. I have some guidelines here that have been approved, we’ll have to talk about some legal stuff before you make any official communication.”

“I want to be on that call,” Cat interrupts, ducking a surprise blow from Alex that was presumably to test her awareness for sneak attacks. “With all due respect, this is my circus and Supergirl, while fantastic, is technically one of my monkeys.”

“Preparations are usually handled by the cultural attachés,” Lucy says, over Alex and Kara protesting about the monkeys comment. “It’s SOP.”

“Standard Operating Procedure is for countries we know what to expect from,” Cat replies. “I’m not going in blind on any aspect of this trip, or any other. I assume we’ll be dealing directly with Kara’s mother?”

“That’s the plan,” Lucy says. “But from what Kara told us before, it’s likely the rest of the council will weigh in. We need to be prepared for that.”

“Kara will prepare me,” Cat answers. “Just like she did for interview subjects when we were at CatCo. Only this time the research material will be her own memories. She won’t let me commit any Kryptonian faux pas. Will you, Kara?”

“I...uh no. No, of course not. We’re not that different from Earth anyway and--”

“Then it’s settled. No need for us to stay here into the evening, though. Kara, you’ll come over for dinner. Just remember that Carter will be expecting Supergirl though. No slips.” Although at this point Cat wonders if she shouldn’t just tell Carter. Everyone else seems to know. 

“Right.” Kara gestures in that nervous way of hers, all the more ridiculous for the boxing pads still wedged onto her hands. “I’ll just come over for dinner. At your house. Sure thing.”

“Is there a problem? Oh, oh I get it. Already spending too much time with your boss? Then we can catch up in the morning, before the call. Honestly, Kara. Speak up for yourself.”

“I am!” Kara says, though it’s more of a yelp. “And dinner is fine, I like dinner! It’s just you don’t usually invite me round, so--”

“Can we save the social calendar for after this session?” Alex interrupts. “Clearly you’re going to keep yammering if we don’t get you working. Lucy, you got thirty minutes to help put the ambassador here through basic self-defense? I’ll work with Kara.”

“Oh Lois would give me her life savings and her Pulitzer for a shot at this,” Lucy replies with a grin. She sets down her clipboard and firearm, approaching Cat like a big game hunter with a ballerina’s build. 

“I’d put her on her ass as quickly as Supergirl,” Cat warns. “Let’s see what you’re made of, little Lane.”

The leg sweep is, unfortunately as quick and unseen as it is effective. Cat goes down hard on the mat and feels the air knocked right out of her. Olivia is going to pay for this, eventually. Once she’s politically secure and Cat can get away with it. 

“You get one free,” Cat says, back on her feet and circling Lucy like prey. “So I hope you enjoyed that.”

“Oh, I did,” Lucy replies as she comes at Cat with a sharp jab. Her right is as fast as her left, and blocking takes every inch of concentration. “Not bad for someone who’s been riding a desk.”

“That’s not all I’ve been riding,” Cat fires right back, because what’s exercise without a little smack talk. She could swear she hears a squeal from Kara just as Alex floors her. Maybe they’ll need a proper security detail for Argo after all. Without the powers, Kara is a little lacking in killer instinct. “Missed again, Major.”

Cat bounces from one foot to the other, feeling sharp and purposeful for the first time in weeks. This damn mission is going to be a success, just like everything else she touches. 

Or else. 


	10. Chapter 10

Kara takes great delight in having her powers back the minute she’s free of the red sun lamps. It’s actually a little unsettling--especially given Haley’s general attitude toward her--how many DEO facilities can be turned into blackspots for her powers with little more than a slide of someone’s finger. Maybe she should talk to Alex about that, find out if it takes special clearance to activate. Otherwise…

...well, otherwise doesn’t bear thinking about. Kara’s too much of an optimist for that.

She takes the long way round to Cat’s place, enjoying the wind whipping through her hair. Kara even allows herself some silly acrobatics once she’s out over the ocean, swooping and dipping in an impromptu gymnastic display. When she lands on the balcony at Cat’s home, she catches sight of herself in the glass doors. Flushed in the cheeks, her hair bouncier than normal, she looks as happy as she can remember being in quite some time.

“You’re on time.”

“Hi, Carter!” Kara darts across the balcony to where he stands in the open part of the doorway. “Wow, I haven’t seen you since…”

“Since the train?” Carter finishes for her. “Cool, we can go with that. I’m guessing that’s why you wore the suit? Just in case I saw the resemblance in your normal clothes.”

“Normal? Re-resemblance?” Kara repeats, a strangled giggle shaping around the words. “Carter, I don’t know if--”

“See? That’s just like you, when you get all... It’s okay, Kara. I’m not going to tell anyone.”

“Does your Mom know?” Kara asks. She doesn’t think it will go well for her if Cat finds out her son is in the exclusive group of people who can be threatened or tortured for information about Supergirl’s secret identity.

Carter shrugs. “I don’t think so. I mean, she knows about _you_. Does she know that I know…? Who knows.”

“This is starting to sound like that episode of Friends where Rachel and Phoebe find out about Chandler and Monica.”

“Friends? Oh right, that show on Netflix.” He says it the way Kara would talk about I Love Lucy or The Golden Girls. “Oh hey, Mom.”

“Carter we don’t leave our guests to freeze on the balcony.”

“It’s September in National City,” he answers quite reasonably. “The only way she’ll freeze is if she blows on herself.”

“Supergirl, ignore my teenage son and his lack of manners, and please come in.” Cat is being weirdly formal, and is also sadly not in her training clothes anymore. Although that might make it easier for Kara to actually look her in the eye. The soft gray sweater and artfully ripped jeans aren’t exactly hard to look at, though Kara is pretty sure that they cost more combined than her next three months of rent. 

“Yeah Kara, come in,” Carter says, though his gently mocking tone soon gives way to a stunned silence. “Oh. I… didn’t mean to do that.”

“It’s fine,” Cat says, as they all resume their way to the dining room. “But we will be having a talk later, young man. Kara, I assume that’s not going to be a problem for you?”

“It’s probably better you don’t have to keep the secret around someone you’re so close to,” Kara replies. “That’s the biggest challenge of all. So as long as Carter doesn’t tell anyone else, I don’t have to hit a panic button. You haven’t, have you?” She asks the boy directly.

“Of course not!” Carter says, like it isn’t an incredibly powerful secret that could get him all kinds of perks and attention, not to mention real power. “Everyone knows the innocent bystander who finds out and then blabs gets killed off. I mean, that’s basically comic book law.”

“This isn’t a comic,” Cat says as she shows Kara to the table, gesturing for her to sit on the side opposite Carter, with Cat between them at the head. “Lives depend on nobody knowing about Kara and Supergirl. Even more so when we’re planet hopping like some Caribbean cruise ship.”

“I know, Mom. I know. I won’t tell anyone, Kara. Pinky swear.”

Kara can’t help but smile at the familiar phrase. She offers her pinky to intertwine with Carter’s. “You want to know how to say that in Japanese?”

“Sure,” Carter replies. “Why Japanese?”

“Long story, but it’s _yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara_. If you ever meet my sister, Alex, you should say it to her.”

They’re interrupted by Cat’s personal chef and an assistant bringing in their dishes. Cat and Carter are obviously used to it, greeting them with familiar smiles as they pull their napkins into their laps. Kara freezes for a moment, unsure how to act. Then she sees the mountain of food on her plate and blurts out a very enthusiastic “thank you!”

Dinner doesn’t take long, even with three courses and the bottle of wine that Cat pours generously. Kara sticks to her first glass, more in the habit of drinking wine thanks to Alex than particularly being a fan of it. When Carter goes to fetch some iced tea, she asks if she can have some too.

“Homework,” Cat urges Carter as soon as their handmade pistachio ice cream is finished. Kara wants to ask if Cat knew that was one of her favorites, just like she did with the pumpkin spice coffee. 

“Sooooo…” Kara begins once they’ve moved to Cat’s private den, a room dominated by two huge white sofas and walls full of books that put Beauty & the Beast’s library firmly in the shade. “What do you need to know before this call tomorrow?”

“Why don’t you just tell me more about your trip to Argo,” Cat replies, switching to brandy and offering Kara one that she declines. “God, they’re going to cut me off booze on these trips aren’t they? We’ll have to be smugglers. No, tell me about your mother and how they all came to be there. The details are a little hazy for an outsider. And you know how I hate to be an outsider on anything.”

“True,” Kara agrees with a tiny laugh. “I don’t even know where to start! Well, I suppose it was all about finding this… let’s call it a battery. It’s all classified now, but it was to help stop the Worldkillers. You uh, probably saw they caused me a few problems at first.”

“You mean the pretty women who kicked your ass all over National City on the nightly news?” Cat answers, a little too sweetly. “I did own a television network for a while there, Kara. And that footage definitely went national.”

“Great,” Kara says with a snort. She’s uncomfortable in her suit tonight, has already left the cape draped across her chair back in the dining room. “Mind if I lose the boots?”

“They must be annoying with tights,” Cat points out. “Why didn’t you just go with pants? Much more practical, surely. Or was it a statement about retaining your feminity?”

“It was a statement about...well, about my costume designer being Winn, really. You should have seen the ones I rejected.”

“Straight men and fashion don’t mix. Although Winn liking women was a surprise, honestly. I really should call him sometime. We bonded, you know.”

“I’m sure you did.” Kara panics for a brief moment. Back to lies after this lovely period of being completely open. Maybe she’ll never escape them. “But he’s away right now. Big project.”

Cat says nothing, just like so many other times when Kara hasn’t given her the full truth. At least they both know what that looks like, now. It’s one more pretense that’s been chipped away.

“So we took this ship, one the Legion used for short missions. And Mon-El… sorry, you remember the boyfriend I was having trouble with? He was leaving and that whole thing? Anyway, he came back and that was a whole other set of… I’m not very good at telling this story, am I?”

“I have some edits,” Cat says, her voice a little lower from the brandy and the fact that it’s getting later, maybe. “Can’t say I’m interested in the boyfriend.”

“Neither was I in the end,” Kara jokes, and she’s surprised when it doesn’t hurt even a little bit. “Anyway, he’s married to someone else, but he was useful on Argo. Sort of.”

“Hmm.” Cat’s single syllable is more damning than that time Kara had psychic disruption and yelled all of Mon-El’s flaws at him. It seems like a great time to tell exactly how she’d found the runes, and her mother, and the dynamics of the council. Cat listened and asked her usual incisive questions, and before Kara knew it the stars were out and Carter had come in to say goodnight.

“It’s getting late,” Kara says. She’s lounging on one of the couches, legs draped over the back so she’s basically upside down. Cat is tucked into a corner of the other sofa, legs pulled up under her as she scribbles in her notebook. It’s leatherbound and fancy, just like so many of her possessions. 

“True, but I think we covered a lot of ground. I have a feel for who we’ll be talking to.”

“Even if I’m just a performing monkey?” Kara asks, still a bit wounded that remark had to come in front of Alex. That will definitely be coming up in conversation sometime soon.

“I was throwing my weight around,” Cat says, pulling off her reading glasses. “You know all my tricks and tactics by now, Kara.”

“I thought I did.” Kara sighs and pulls herself back to the right way round, hovering in mid-air for a long moment because it always catches Cat’s attention. “What?” 

“It’s still… cool, getting to see that up close. I can’t imagine why you’d want to go anywhere that would take that ability away.”

“Not even when it means getting to see my mom again? And all the things I miss about Krypton? I know family is tricky for you sometimes, but imagine Carter had to go live on another planet with his dad or something.”

“Don’t even joke about that,” Cat replies with a shudder. Kara feels guilty for even mentioning it, and floats across to Cat’s couch in the hope of distracting her. “Although the tabloids do like to speculate which of my lovers have been aliens.”

“...do they?” Kara’s throat seems tighter, somehow.

“They always guess wrong, too. Don’t you follow the rumors about Supergirl? You’ve been linked with some very impressive people. The most impressive being me, of course.”

Kara thinks she might have gone deaf, for a moment. Is there red sunlight hidden in the warm glow of the lights in here? Kryptonite hidden under the coffee table? Nope, just good old-fashioned panic. 

“Me… and you? Cat Grant dating Supergirl?”

“Oh they never upgraded it to dating. Just, hmm, what was that phrasing again? I really should have hired the woman when I had the chance. Oh yes, _“Balcony Booty Calls”_. It has a certain ring to it, don’t you think?”

“I…”

“Kara, you’re blushing!” Cat actually laughs, that melodic sound Kara hasn’t heard in so long. “You can face down hell itself, but mention someone’s ‘booty’ and the Girl of Steel melts. You really are priceless.”

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment.” Kara doesn’t care if that sounds huffy. She moves to stand, but Cat grabs her unexpectedly by the wrist. “I need to get going. I like to patrol the city before I turn in for the night.”

“It was. A compliment, I mean.” Cat is pouting, the laughter forgotten. “And I was flattered by that headline. It would be flattering to anyone in my position.”

And Kara sees it in that moment, the opening to make a joke that would be completely unlike her. To ask Cat which position, maybe even waggle an eyebrow in the process. That would be… flirting, in fact. Something Kara desperately wishes she was any good at. Any good at all. 

“I think it’s more flattering to me,” she settles for instead. When she pulls away, Cat lets her go. “Big day tomorrow. We can make this mission official.”

“We can. You can use the windows in here,” Cat says, and Kara moves to open one. “Oh, and Kara?”

“Yes?” The noise of the city creeps in through the opened window, the fresh smell of the night air starting to circulate. 

“I’m glad you’re coming with me on all this. Very glad.”

“It’s my honor,” Kara replies, quite sincerely. Without looking back, she slips out of the window and propels herself into the sky. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Earth makes official contact with Argo, and naturally Alura is their representative. Cat and Kara have to learn to work as a differently-balanced team, but diplomacy proves trickier than either of them is expecting.

Cat doesn’t detour to their library on the way in, just asks the ever-useful Agent Vasquez to wherever they’re calling Argo from. There’s no workout clothing today, although Cat has brought a bag with a few changes of clothes just in case. Although she retains a minimal staff--her penthouse has a housekeeper whether she’s living there full-time or not--it’s been refreshing to mostly pack and plan for herself these past few days. 

As expected, Kara is already there and pacing. She has notes of some kind that she’s reading from as she moves, and every so often she forgets to turn in time so there’s the faint outline of a Kryptonian in the metal walls that frame the dingy space they’re supposed to be working out of. 

Cat looks around in dismay at the furniture clearly just dragged out of storage, mismatched and brutalist in its functionality.

“Well, this lighting isn’t going to fly for a start,” Cat says, hands on hips after she stows the holdall with her clothes under a table in the corner. “Honestly, has no one in this organization heard of a little something called production values?”

“Uh--” Kara starts to explain, but Cat is in a mode now. She doesn’t need opposition or support, just a stage that she can set. Some foolhardy souls have suggested it’s how she handles her nerves before a big event. As if Cat Grant would ever be allowed the luxury of _being nervous_.

“Agent Vasquez, I’d bet you know where the good lighting is stored. Nothing too harsh, so we’re not talking something you’d use to dig out a crashed spaceship. I won’t hold my breath for gels and filters, but if you people can set up colored lights to mess with alien powers, there must be something lying around here.”

“Ma’am,” Vasquez acknowledges, gaining a sympathetic look from Kara. “I’ll bring down some of our audio gear too, because I don’t imagine you’ll want to use the standard mic they’ve set up over there.”

“Is that glorified laptop with a plastic microphone supposed to put us in touch with another planet?” Cat feels her eyebrows raise past a point that even judiciously applied Botox could handle. “I know we basically went to the moon with two tin cans and a piece of string, but could we maybe think about the impression of Earth we’re giving? Unless there’s specialist equipment we can’t move, I want a location switch up too. I’m sure the Director will loan us her office for something so important,” Cat finishes for the benefit of the arriving Alex Danvers.

“My office?” Alex repeats with a frown. She doesn’t seem the type to have set up camp behind her desk. “We’ll have to move a few boxes, but I guess so. I’ll check with Agent Dox about whether communications are possible out of there.”

“Affirmative.” This agent is new to Cat, although she’s seen him around the place. “Supergirl, if I could have a word with you?”

Kara goes along with him willingly enough, so Cat focuses on directing any passing agents to handle the relocation. By the time Kara rejoins them in Alex’s office, she seems preoccupied. Cat would enquire about why, but naturally that’s the moment Olivia chooses for a little presidential pep talk.

“Madam President, good of you to check in.”

“I just wanted to thank you for taking this on, Cat. I’m hopeful we can launch your mission and turn next week into a monumental time for diplomacy. And to remind you not to promise any Kryptonians things we can’t deliver on.”

It’s not really done to roll her eyes at the leader of the free world, so Cat just about resists. “We’re just getting the presentation right, and the call is scheduled five minutes from now. I’ll be sure to use all my charm, don’t you worry. Supergirl will be on the call with me, so we’ve covered all eventualities.”

“That’s why I can always count on you,” Olivia says, and there’s something terribly exhausted in her smile. “Do us proud.”

The video call ends and Cat situates herself in the high-backed leather chair, noting with approval the way an American flag has been placed in-frame for the new audio-visual setup she’s facing down. It’s hardly going out in 4K but it’s a considerable upgrade from whatever they’d cobbled together in the other room. Kara comes around to take the seat set just behind Cat’s, so they’ll be in the shot together if the camera goes wide but far enough to allow for a closeup on Cat. 

“You know what we’re looking for here, Agent Dox?” Cat says, once the other agents have relayed the past few minutes of requests to him.

“Of course. I’m quite the cinephile. Do not worry, Ambassador Grant. With these lights and my technical prowess, you’ll be filmed as beautifully as Katharine Hepburn in The Philadelphia Story.”

“I was thinking more Hedy Lamarr, but I’ll take it,” Cat says, grumbling more for the sake of it than anything else. “At least these colors won’t bleed”

She knows fine well that they won’t, with the years of experience that being on television five times a week brings a person. Still, it fills the anxious silences, the most notable of them coming from Kara. 

“Well?” Cat says, turning in the chair to face down Kara. “You’re usually full of comments these days. Will I do?”

“Huh?” Kara snaps back to attention, looking Cat up and down in her navy pantsuit with a creamy camisole just visible where the blazer buttons. No statement necklace today, but a simple silver chain that bears no symbols or anything open to misinterpretation. Cat’s hair is self-styled without a personal hairdresser on call just yet, and she selected the bracelets at her wrist because they won’t make noise when they make contact with her silver-and-pearl watch. 

“This outfit? Presentable? Acceptable to Kryptonian tastes?”

“Oh, yes! Of course. You look great, Cat. You always do.”

“Everything okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“You went off with Dox Tarantino there and came back looking like you’d left the stove on. Have you?”

“No, I didn’t use the stove this morning,” Kara answers. “It’s fine, just a message from a friend. Nothing I need to worry about. Besides, the call’s about to start.” She gestures at the monitor, and sure enough, it’s coming to life. 

Cat turns back to the desk and checks her leather folio is open to the relevant pages of notes. A deep, steadying breath. One of the few useful things yoga ever taught her. Blink to make sure the mascara isn't clumping. Press lips to make sure the lipstick has blotted. Hands folded, palms flat against the surface of the desk. Roll shoulders. Tilt chin.

Action.

“Greetings, Argo City. This is Ambassador Cat Grant, representing the United States of America, planet Earth. Can you confirm your identity and location please?”

Too formal, almost stilted, but the security protocol list that makes a Mariah Carey tour rider look reasonable hasn’t left much room for creativity. At least for the opening exchanges. 

“I am Alura Zor-El, of the Kryptonian High Council. I’m speaking with you from Argo City, the last remaining outpost of the planet Krypton. It’s good to speak with you, Ambassador.”

“Thank you. How should I address you during our conversation?”

“Please call me Alura.”

“Then I’d like if you could call me Cat.” A strangled sound from one of the policy wonks in the corner. Fabulous. “And of course, you’ll recognize the woman to my left.”

“Kara Zor-El,” she says her own name, the one she’s had to hide for so long, with warmth and pride that makes Cat want to reach out to her. Shaking off the impulse, Cat takes charge of the call. 

“Kara is here as my cultural attaché and advisor,” she explains. Alura narrows her eyes for just a moment. “But for the moment it would be clearer to conduct all talks between the two of us directly.”

“I understand you wish to lead a delegation here to Argo. To visit us and learn more of our people. May I ask why?”

There’s something familiar about the woman, nagging at dimmest recesses of Cat’s memory. It’s not her resemblance to Kara, although there is a faint one. Is it possible Alura has visited Earth before? Surely that would have been mentioned. 

“As increasing numbers of people from other planets come to visit Earth, it is our president’s wish that we reach out to our galactic neighbors and forge links to promote safe travel, trade, and most importantly, peace.”

“How noble.” Alura suits the royal blue robes she’s wearing, and her bearing is certainly regal. Cat finds herself straightening her spine just a little more without meaning to. “But as I’m sure my daughter explained, we are vulnerable here in Argo. Our planet is not on a war footing and we do not wish to attract invaders or enemies.”

“America has no intention of being either.” Cat doesn’t add the “for a change” that’s on the tip of her tongue. Being diplomatic is truly testing the limits of her best nature.

“But America is not the Earth,” Alura replies. “What if some of your other regions were to follow with less honorable intentions?”

“Mom, please,” Kara says, although it isn’t quite ‘Mom’, it’s something Kryptonian that sounds just right on Kara’s tongue. “We’re in a unique position to travel to Argo, and we won’t bring anyone unauthorized with us. Besides, don’t you want me to have an excuse to visit more often?”

Alura softens for the first time at her daughter’s words, even if Cat is less than thrilled at the interruption. Perhaps, at least on this first mission, it’s time to start considering this more of a partnership than the usual Cat Grant and supporting cast arrangement that comprises most of her career. 

“Of course I would wish to see you more often, Kara. But we must protect the people living here on Argo. We’ve already lost so much.”

“But we do have an agreement in principle that a visit should go ahead,” Cat says, stepping back in to steer the conversation. “Surely if we travel on a small ship and observe the same rules as Kara did on previous visits, we can at least meet each other and let the people of Argo see they have nothing to fear from us?”

“You would meet the citizens?” Alura seems genuinely surprised. “Not just the politicians?”

“I tend to do better with real people,” Cat replies. Kara shoots her a look that’s somewhere between encouraging and incredulous. “And of course, we’ll be as open and transparent as possible. With being your first official visitors. Subject to security of course. I’m not putting myself out there if Argo has a grassy knoll.”

“Excuse me?”

“What the ambassador means,” Kara jumps back in. “Is that it’s possible to have the ceremony of an official visit but also to make it less risky for all of us. So, can we talk about the proposed arrangements?”

“Very well,” Alura says. 

Cat takes over again then, running through the list of meetings and the dates, adjusted for the way they keep time on Argo. It’s frustrating detail work, the kind she’s been delegating for decades, but there’s satisfaction in becoming good at something completely different. 

“In that case, Alura, I think we’ve arranged quite the trip. I look forward to meeting you in person.”

“Thank you, ambassador. Cat.”

“Actually, if that’s official business all wrapped up, can I ask you something, Mom?” Kara says, leaning forward until the arm of her super suit is pressed against Cat’s own. Even through the fabric and that and her blazer, she can feel the warmth and pressure of Kara’s touch. 

“Always.”

Cat considers standing up and giving them a moment, but technically she’s supposed to be the only one on this side of the call. Kara’s touch seems to hold her in place whether she means it to or not. Deciding that discretion is the better part of valor, Cat looks down at her notes and pretends to read them. 

“While we’ve been talking about this, something even better just came to me. Boom! Just like that!”

“Yes, dear?” Alura urges, and there’s that hint of a proud parent as she smiles around the words. Cat has heard that in her own voice more often than she cares to count. 

“Well, if we can come to you because of diplomatic travel, then if everything works out--and it will!--then why not double the time? I don’t know what the High Council would call it, maybe not ambassador, but you could be a special envoy to Earth in return. It would be like… well, it would be like when Dad used to take those trips when I was small. I’m sure we could find another ship, or you could travel back with us… it’s just too perfect, don’t you think?”

Kara has always been an animated talker, and when she gets particularly excited she finds it hard to maintain eye contact. Used to navigating that trait with Carter, Cat has gotten used to looking elsewhere when Kara goes off on one of her rambles, confident in the knowledge that she won’t be noticed letting her eyes wander. 

That’s why she sees Alura’s expression change while Kara says _ambassador_, even if it’s barely a second before that calm and patient mask slips right back into place. Curious. 

“We will speak more of this in person, Kara.” Alura gives a fond smile so convincing that Cat begins to doubt she saw any panic at all. “I’ll be there to greet the ship, to welcome you and Ambassador Grant to Argo. For now, goodbye.”

“Goodbye,” Cat and Kara answer in an unintended chorus. Moments later the room is plunged back into its usual dim state, with the rigged lighting switched off and the monitors returning to their blank state.

“That went well,” Cat says, motioning for Kara to follow her out into the corridor. “You went a little off-script there at the end. Not that I mind,” she clarifies, holding her hand up for a moment. “But you might not want to pin all your hopes on your mother wanting to travel all this way.”

“What?” Kara half-smiles at Cat, like she’s just said something crazy. “I know we have to make it all official, but why wouldn’t she want to come here and see me? To see my cousin? Of course she would.”

“You said when she visited Earth before, she didn’t want to stay?”

“Yes, but--”

“I’m just managing expectations, Kara. When you were getting all excited about it, your mom didn’t look overly thrilled. I could be wrong, but I don’t want to see you getting your hopes up only to get them dashed. God knows that happened enough when you were working for me.”

Kara says nothing, just folds her arms over her chest. Oh good, the strong and silent sulk. An old favorite. 

“This isn’t some power trip or some terrible insult against your family. Do I think Argo needs to discover the concept of a good blowout? Maybe. But I don’t want a whole tangle of family drama getting in the way of the work. This is important work.”

“I’m well aware. But I think you’re used to being the boss, the smartest one in the room wherever you go. You hate that I know more about my own people than you do. So you’re what… trying to ruin it for me? Well, bad news _ambassador_ because you can’t. There’s nothing you can say to drive me away from my own mother. I’m not Adam.”

To her credit, Kara realizes she’s gone too far. Just like she had with her outburst about Cat’s meanness, she slaps a hand over her mouth. But the damage is done. 

It’s only her sons that can inflict this kind of pain on Cat. A dull thumping beneath her ribs, the sick feeling in the back of her throat. The jibe landed like a physical attack, and despite what she hopes is perfect outward composure, it has Cat reeling. All the worse that it comes from the least likely source, but she’s been well warned that Kara’s kindness and generosity have their limits. Even superheroes can be pushed too far.

“No. No, you’re not.” Cat gathers herself, considers the high road a moment and then skies right down the other path. “But your mother abandoned you too, by your own admission. And from what I saw on her face just now, she’s no closer to coming to Earth with you after next week than she was when she didn’t crawl into that pod with you and refuse to let go.”

Too far. 

At least now Cat knows what Supergirl would look like if she could feel it when someone slapped her face. It’s not an emotional blow Cat ever wants to land again, and she finds herself in the rare position of regretting something she said.

“I have to go.” Kara’s voice is tight, and her eyes are distinctly wetter than they were a moment ago. “Agent Vasquez can take you back to the library. Use whatever you need from my notes, I made a folder. I should really get back to CatCo before I’m missed again.”

“Kara, wait--”

“I have other duties as Supergirl until we leave. I’ll meet you here on Monday for the launch as planned.”

There’s not much a person can do when someone with super speed decides to leave. As headstarts go, it’s pretty insurmountable. The other agents have mostly cleared out, leaving just Vasquez and Dox. At least there won’t be a showdown with Alex Danvers, or not right now anyway. No doubt Kara will share this with her over the weekend. 

“Okay, I have more studying to do,” Cat tells Agent Vasquez. “It seems I don’t have the handle on Kryptonians that I thought I did.”

The wry smile from Vasquez suggests that might be an understatement. 

“Yes, ma’am. If you’d like to come with me, Agent Dox can finish clearing up in here.”

Perhaps this is a chance to find out from Kara’s friends and colleagues if there’s a way to make this right with her, if they know anything that might help. Cat resists the urge, even when it’s on the tip of her tongue, and chalks up another mess to her insufferable pride. Kara might be over it by Monday. She is walking sunshine most of the time after all. With all she’s forgiven Cat in the past, this should just be another entry on the karmic balance sheet of their relationship.

The difference is, Cat realizes with increasing horror as her heels click on the corridor floor behind Agent Vasquez and her solid boots, that this time Cat actively wants that forgiveness. Hell, she might even need it. 

One way or another she’s going to have to make this right with Kara, and actually put in the effort to do so. All that while not conceding the point that she’s still right in her suspicions about Alura. 

Cat will give her the weekend--she has plans to spend as much time with Carter as possible anyway--and then come Monday it’s a full charm offensive so they take off for Argo on the best possible terms. 

She won’t accept anything less. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A brief pause and then we'll be jumping in with part two of this series: **inspiration** \- watch out for it later this week and don't forget to subscribe!


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